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Pre-millennialism: “then and now” by Holger W. Neubauer
The concept of a future reign of Christ in which wolves will lay down with lambs and swords that will be beaten into plowshares comes from a result of disregarding the time statements of scripture and forcing literalistic interpretations that God never intended for anyone to make. Those holding to a future “thousand year reign” (Revelation 20:4-7) and a future kingdom ask, “when did the wolf lay down with a lamb, and when were the swords beaten into plowshares” (Isaiah 2:1-4: 65:25)? We respond by saying that the kingdom was “at hand” in Jesus' own day (Matthew 4:17). These teachings were merely symbols of the peaceful nature of the kingdom that Jesus established in the lifetime of the disciples (Mark 9:1). Old covenant Israel used physical instruments of war to defend the physical piece of land called Palestine. The kingdom today is a spiritual kingdom that is occupied in the hearts of those that love and obey Christ. Our weapons are not carnal but never the less powerful (2 Corinthians 10:4,5). Jesus said, “the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21). Many in the church today are totally unaware that the majority opinion among us for nearly eighty years was this false doctrine of Pre-millennialism. Before the Civil War a preacher by the name of J.T. Barclay promoted a coming kingdom. Barclay was a prominent man in the church and in society at large. Barclay at one time received an appointment by President Pierce to do research at the Philadelphia mint for the prevention of deterioration of metallic currency. Barclay, later taught natural sciences at Bethany College. Barclay put forward his ideas in Alexander Campbell's paper entitled the Millennial Harbinger. The name of Campbell's paper is sufficient proof for his pre-millennial persuasions. In ' '''a series of articles, Barclay taught with Campbell's approval, a time that was near then, that would bring forth an age in which ravenous animals would be gentle, that the law of Moses would go forth to higher sense than it ever had and Jerusalem would be rebuilt. Not until the work of W.L. Oliphant and Foy E. Wallace of the 1930-40 era was pre-millennialism defeated. Foy E. Wallace was also one of the first prominent preachers among us to take the early date on the book of Revelation, although a lesser known preacher in the church by name of Cyrus Jeffries took our position of realized eschatology in the 1850's. '''Now the early date of the Revelation is a common view in the church.' Gene West of the West Virginia School of Preaching and Art Ogden who sides with anti-cooperation brethren both have written works espousing the early date. Unless he has changed his mind again, Ben Vick Jr. of the church of Christ at Shelbyville Road in Indianapolis, Indiana holds to the early date of the Revelation. The early date is a relatively new understanding among us. However, when one sees the early date, and the early date is proven by the internal evidence of the book (Revelation 11:1-8; 17:10), it is a very small step to see the true message of the Revelation. Let us not resist the truth because of what previous generations failed to see! What was then should not keep us from what we can see now. When it comes to eschatology, we have been weaning ourselves off pre-millennialism for generations. The revealing of Christ took place when Jerusalem fell. That is exactly the language that Jesus himself used in Luke 17:30 wherein He said, “Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.” The very next verse says, “In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away” (Luke 17:31). Jesus taught that His revealing would take place when Jerusalem fell. The word “revealed” is the Greek “apokaluptetai”,'' the very word from which we have title of the book of Revelation. Together with the “at hand” statements of Revelation 1:3 and 22:10, why would we resist the wonderful truth that Jesus has fulfilled His promise and returned as He said He would? Jesus promised He would return in that very generation in which He was living (Matthew 10:23; 16:27,28; James 5:8; Hebrews 10:37)! '''There is no third coming of Christ!' His second coming took place when He was revealed! Pre-millennialists today will not accept that kingdom prohecies have now been fulfilled because they do not believe the language of scripture has been satisfied and will not honor the time statements of scripture. Traditionalists resist the truth on the consummation of the kingdom because they do not believe the language of scripture has been satisfied and also resist the time statements of scripture. Revelation 12:10 says, “Now is come SALVATION, and STRENGTH and the KINGDOM of our God.” The kingdom that started on Pentecost was completed when Jerusalem fell. Jesus, in the midst of the Olivet discourse, said, “So likewise ye, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that the KINGDOM of God is nigh at hand” (Luke 21:31). Can anyone see a train coming? Can anyone not connect the dots? The kingdom was completed when Jerusalem fell. Surely we can see the church/kingdom was not complete on Pentecost. The Gentiles would not come into the church/kingdom for another 10-12 years (Acts 10:28). Why don't we admit that the church simply has not seen the truth on last things? Whatever “at hand” means in Matthew 4:17 regarding the beginning of the kingdom, the same phrase “at hand” means in regard to the completion of the kingdom in Revelation 1:3 and 12:10. Like the pre-millennialists who ask, “when did the wolf lie down with the lamb,” and “why are we still bitten by animals,” Rusty Stark, a futurist asks “when was death destroyed” and “why do we still go to funerals”? When Jesus said, “whosoever that liveth and believeth in me shall never die” (John 11:26), Jesus promised spiritual not physical life. The last enemy destroyed was not physical death (1 Corinthians 15:26). Physical death is not the enemy of a Christian. Physical death has never been the enemy of the faithful. Paul said, “to depart and be with Christ: which is far better”(Philippians 1:23). The death that was abolished by the cross (2 Timothy 1:10) was completed upon the return of Christ in Jerusalem. Jesus came with the “keys to death and hades” (Revelation 1:18). What Jesus started on the cross was finished upon His return (Hebrews 9:28). Salvation was accomplished just as the Revelation 12:10 affirms! When? When Jerusalem fell! Proven by the “at hand” statements of the message. The return of Christ brought salvation because when Jesus returned God the Father opened Heaven. Revelation 11 is a text that predicts the fall of Jerusalem. The temple was to be measured and the Gentiles were to trod it down (11:1,2). Then, the dead witnesses would lie in the streets of the city where Jesus was crucified (11:8). After that, the dead are judged and reward is given to the righteous (11:18). Now notice, Revelation 11:19 which says, “And the temple of God was opened in Heaven.” This is the opening of heaven to the dead saints. Revelation 15:8 repeats the same theme. The text says, “no man was able to enter into the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.” This is the salvation that Jesus brought at His return. Listen again to Revelation 12:10, “Now is come SALVATION, and STRENGHTH, and the KINGDOM OF OUR GOD.” Heaven is now opened and the dead saints can go where the saints under the law could not! We now can go directly to Heaven! But the futurist position says the saints now are no better off than those under the law. Pshaw! Christ fulfilled the law and full salvation has arrived! Pre-millennialists and the Traditional view have much in common. Both believe in a future return of Christ. Both say that there was a sense in which Jesus came in Jerusalem. Both look forward to the burning of the planet. Both look forward to a future realization of the kingdom. Both are wrong. Let us step back and look again with honest hearts and consistency in interpretation and accept the fact that Jesus has fulfilled what he promised and what was promised is fulfilled. Jesus said, “these be days of vengeance when all things that are written may be fulfilled” (Luke 21:22). Let us not rely on what others believed then, but let us concern ourselves on what we should believe now. May God bless our studies in this wonderful theme.